After getting some one-on-one feedback on a request to allow alcohol in the parks, the Vandalia Park District Board of Commissioners has decided to hold a public forum on the issue.
At their meeting last week, commissioners addressed that latest request, which would allow consumption of alcohol for softball games.
However, they emphasized that this was not the first request, with previous ones made for a special event or a family reunion.
“I’ve talked to probably 80 people, and it seems pretty split at 50/50,” Commissioner Brian Stout said.

The Vandalia Board of Education on Tuesday accepted bids for construction work that will allow the district to move students out of Jefferson Primary School.
It also approved a bid for the construction of a maintenance building that will be used by the district for storage.
The bids were approved a little less than two months after the board voted to moved kindergarten and first-grade students from JPS into Vandalia Elementary School, and to relocate fourth-grade students from VES to the junior high school.

As they discussed the ongoing development of a dog park, Vandalia Park District commissioners listened to concerns about the park from residents of that area.
Commissioner Steve Hawkins reported at the park board’s March meeting that the development of the dog park in the district park at the east end of Madison Street had included the installation of a fence on the south side of the park.

While the Illinois Commerce Commission has substantially scaled down its proposal for Vandalia’s downtown railroad crossings, the city would like to see it give in a little more.
At a work session on Monday night, Rodney Potts of John Crawford and Associates presented to city aldermen the ICC’s second proposal to make changes that would enhance traffic safety at Fifth and Sixth street crossings.

Adrian Mitchell, 24, of St. Elmo, was sentenced to prison on Monday after admitting that she had violated her probation.
Mitchell, who was originally convicted on a charge of theft, a Class 2 felony punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The office of Fayette County State's Attorney Joshua Morrison filed a motion to revoke her probation.
Judge M. Don Sheafor Jr. sentenced Mitchell to 40 months with the Illinois Department of Corrections.